MEYER WERFT counts among the world-wide market leaders

Papenburg, 4 May 2011 - In 1891 the first passengers to go on a cruise were Germans. It was the idea of the Hamburg ship owner Albert Ballin. At that time most of the passenger steamers were idling in the port of Hamburg during the winter. So Ballin decided to assign one of these ships to the Mediterranean on an almost two-month journey. 18 years after the first cruise Ballin initiated the construction of the first cruise ship, the Prinzessin Victoria Luise. At that time the ship already had 120 luxury cabins, a library, a gym, and even a darkroom for photographers.

In those days MEYER WERFT was building ships like the Prinz Heinrich. The passengers on these ships built in Papenburg enjoyed much less convenience. 120 years later the situation is completely different.

The shipyard's success story began with the delivery of the HOMERIC on 6 May 1986. The first project drawings of the future Homeric, the yard's first cruise ship having the project number 6734/83, were prepared in 1983. Building this ship was a ground-breaking decision, and also a considerable venture. When news about the construction of the ship were released in April 1984, many people had their doubts about it. There were plenty of colleagues from other shipyards who expected MEYER WERFT to go under with this ship.

In the autumn of 1985 the HOMERIC was the first cruise ship of this size that was launched sideways, a spectacular event being witnessed by thousands of onlookers. She remains the only cruise ship that was built out in the open in Papenburg. Already the CROWN ODYSSEY whose construction began half a year upon delivery of the HOMERIC was built in the covered building dock. The first ship to be built in the second building dock was the NORWEGIAN STAR in 2001.

The conveyance of a ship on the river Ems was shadowed by an incident: The ship "slightly touched" the Jann-Berghaus Bridge in Leer. Nowadays it is much easier to manoeuvre the big ships on the Ems thanks to modern computer technology and satellite-based navigation. The ship's position on the river can be determined very precisely. However, even 25 years later such manoeuvres cannot be conducted independent of weather conditions.

After merely two years of construction the HOMERIC was finally delivered on 6 May 1986. The time pressure was due to the fact that the owner would have lost his exclusive rights for cruises to the Bermudas if the delivery of the ship had been delayed.

In terms of money MEYER WERFT's first cruise ship certainly yielded no profit. But the benefit was to be found elsewhere: It was the know-how gained during this project. To date the company has preserved, and enhanced, its expertise in the construction of cruise ships. It is the capital of the shipyard. Hence the chances taken have paid off.

After being in service for Home Lines for two years, the HOMERIC was sold to Holland America Line. The new owners sent the ship back to its place of birth where it was supposed to be extended, for cruise ships a step hitherto unparalleled in the shipyard's history. Between November 1989 and March 1990 the HOMERIC was extended by almost 40 metres. She was in service under name WESTERDAM until April 2002 when she changed not only her name, but also her owners - she continued to operate as COSTA EUROPA for Costa Crociere. Last year she was chartered out to Thomson Cruises. Prior to that change she underwent an overhaul at Blohm & Voss. Since then she has been in service under the name THOMSON DREAM.

By delivering the HOMERIC the Emsland shipbuilders impressively proved their expertise in the construction of cruise ships. She became MEYER WERFT's calling card and opened the door to the global market. Over the last 25 years the company has risen to a top player in the extremely competitive market. The shipyard's products stand out for innovative quality, optimal implementation of the customers' requirements, timely delivery and eco-friendliness. The cruise companies certainly do appreciate.

At present MEYER WERFT's orderbook includes nine cruise ships up to a tonnage of 158.000 GT. Hence the value of this orderbook is tantamount to € 5 bn.

Over the last 25 years the following cruise ships have been built:

MEYER WERFT's cruise ship order book